BOSSES of a waste consortium are scratching heads after the land on which they had hoped to build a controversial incinerator was sold from under their noses.

HLC, which had hoped to build the plant at Wrexham Industrial Estate, says it is now looking for another site in the Wrexham area which won't bring any comfort to Cheshire residents downwind of the plant.

But Wrexham Council, which has backed the scheme from day one, understands HLC is negotiating with the new owner of the original site with a view to buying it as planned.

Campaigners on both side of the England-Wales border say residents opposed to incineration should act as though planning applications for the chosen site are 'still live' and continue to bombard Wrexham Council with objections.

Judith Harper has taken over as HLC's new project manager after former manager Steve Burnett decided to pursue other projects.

She said: 'The situation is the building has been sold to a third party - that site is no longer available. We have already been looking at other potential sites. We are still working with the council in moving things forward.

'It shouldn't upset the process at all.' But Mrs Harper added: 'We were taken by surprise a little bit and rather disconcerted by the whole thing.'

She said HLC had taken a decision not to buy the site from owners Balfour Beatty Plc before now because planning consents had not been given and contracts were not signed.

'What happened was Balfour Beatty got fed up of waiting and decided that if somebody else put in a good offer they would take it.'

Talking about a future site,she said:'Ideally it needs to be close to Wrexham and in any case it would have to be within the Wrexham Council area.'

People have long been concerned about the proposed incinerator - integrated into a recycling plant - because of fears it will release toxic emissions.

So there was apparent cause for celebration when waste consortium HLC announced it was shelving the original scheme earlier this year and a public inquiry was cancelled.

But then the firm submitted a fresh application to Wrexham Council for a thermal treatment plant - using pyrolysis technology - claiming it was more environmentally friendly.

In fact, both planning applications relating to the project are still on the table. This leads people to suspect HLC is still hoping to purchase the original site from the new owners, albeit for a higher price than originally anticipated.

Having taken professional advice, campaigners also fear the latest scheme could actually be worse for the environment.

In an open letter signed by campaign groups, Deborah Tayler of Dee Borders Waste Action Group encouraged residents to object to the latest application by writing to Wrexham Council's planning department just as many did with the previous scheme.

She said: 'If you share our concerns about the proposal it is imperative that your objections are heard. If you wrote before your earlier letter will not count, you must write again, silence may be interpreted that you are reassured by the new proposal, this will help it gain permission.'

A statement from Wrexham Council explained that HLC was looking at purchasing the original site.

It read: 'HLC have confirmed that they are looking to establish relations with the new owners in order to negotiate the future of the site.'